"After a long period of neglect, political scientists are again noticing identity politics. Hoover's book is beautifully written, brief by comprehensive, and appropriate for a wide range of undergraduate courses. Most impressive, Hoover links micro-level processes (human development and the construction of individual identities) with macro-politics (the formation and maintenance of organized systems of power), examining, among other topics, gender, multiculturalism, and the sources and consequences of democracy and authoritarianism." —Alec Stone Sweet Univeristy of California, Irvine